Photoflash lamp filling machine



Oct. 25, 1966 c, MACH PHOTOFLASH LAMP FILLING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 7, 1963 t' lrovrweg h :m M A g m a Tmh C Oct. 25, 1966 i c. A. MACH 3,280,859

PHOTOFLASH LAMP FILLING MACHINE Filed Aug. '7, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ITWHTL'OT:

ChEiTL6S A. Mach His A41TOTTWEH United States Patent 3,280,859 PHOTOFLASH LAMP FILLING MACHINE Charles A. Mach, Willowick, ()hio, assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed Aug. 7, 1963, Ser. No. 300,570 3 Claims. '(Cl. 141--80) This invention relates to the manufacture of photofiash lamps and more particularly to apparatus for introducing the foil filling into lamp envelopes.

In the manufacture of photofiash lamps, the foil filling for the lamp is cut or shredded from a thin sheet or ribbon of suitable metal foil such as aluminum or aluminum-magnesium or zirconium and .is then conveyed to the lamp through a vacuum or pressure filling head. Such apparatus is shown and disclosed in US. Patent 2,331,230, Ripple et al. From the shredded foil machine the foil filling for the lamp is conveyed in the more conventional type of machine through a filling head, which is stationary. It .is an object of this invention to provide a foil filling machine with a movable filling head which reduces the amount of manual handling of the lamp envelope.

In the manufacture of some miniature photoflash lamps, such as the lamps known as the AG1, the lamp envelope is small and is difficult to handle in a sure and economical manner. It is therefore desirable that in the manufacture of these lamps the handling of the lamp envelope be reduced to a minimum. While it has been suggested in the past to insert filling nozzles into the lamp envelope to introduce the foil filling, such suggestions are not completely satisfactory in that when the foil filling is introduced through a narrow nozzle there is a possibility of the foil filling being blown into and out of the lamp envelope. For this reason, it is preferable to use an inertial filling system such as shown and described in US. Patent 2,722,335, Anderson et a1. It is therefore another object of this invention to provide a photofiash foil filling machine which eliminates the difiiculties attendant to the use of a pressure nozzle for filling photofiash lamps.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following more complete disclosure of the invention wherein a foil filling apparatus which comprises a turret carrying a plurality lamp envelope means which turret is rotated about a horizontal axis, a gripping carriage which is reciprocable into conjunction with the turret having means thereon to automatically fill the lamp and compact the foil filling therein, and means for driving said turret and said carriage in timed relation to each other.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is more completely disclosed and hereinafter shown in the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a foil filling machine constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation thereof;

FIG. 3 is a top view of a portion of the machine;

FIG. 4 is a perspective of the envelope feeding mechanism;

FIG. 5 is a section view of the filling head; and

FIGS. 6 and 7 are views of the drive means.

As shown in FIG. 1, the foil filling machine generally comprises a lamp envelope feeding station 1 and a pickup station 2 from which lamp bulbs or envelopes are picked up by a turret 3 carrying a plurality of bulb gripping jaws 4, said turret being mounted on a horizontal axis. The turret 3 carries the bulbs past a work area which generally includes a filling head 5, a realignment head 6 and a compacting head 7. After the bulbs have been filled, the filled bulbs are moved :to a delivery station 8, which includes a pocketed wheel 9 for receiving and subsequently conveying the filled envelopes.

The feeding station 1 includes a storage bin or magazine 10 filled with a plurality of photofi-ash bulbs which have sealed in one end thereof a mount structure 11 (FIG. 3), which includes the ignition filament. The other end of the tubular lamp envelope is open to receive the foil filling. The lamp envelopes are stacked in horizontal position within the storage bin 10 and are discharged therefrom in a single layer through a passageway 11' (FIG. 1) to a discharge assistant 12. An agitator 13 maintains the alignment of the envelopes .in the passageway 11'.

As best seen in FIG. 4, the discharge assistant 12 is reciprocated to push a single lamp envelope laterally out of the storage bin 10 to the pick-up station 2. The lamp envelope which is placed at the pick-up station 2 is oriented in a horizontal position on the spaced arcuate arms 14 of the pickup station and is in a horizontal position at which it may be easily lifted by the bulb-gripping means 4 for movement to the work area.

The turret gripping means 4 comprise a generally conventional type of lamp holding means, which includes a fixed gripping jaw 15 and a movable gripping jaw 16. The movable gripping jaw 16 has been actuated into an open position by a fixed cam surface 17 and upon being moved beyond the pickup station is actuated to a closed position by a spring means 18. Thus, as the turret 3 rotates a lamp gripping means 4 into the area of the pickup station, the movable jaw 16 is held in an open position; as the lamp gripping means moves past the pickup station, the cam 17 terminates and permits the movable jaw to be closed by the action of the spring means 18 to securely grip the lamp envelope. The lamp envelope is then cartied in a step-by-step manner past the various work stations to the delivery station 8. At the point of delivery of the lamp, a movable jaw opener 19 provided to precisely open the jaws and allow the lamp, now filled with foil, .into the pocketed wheel 9.

The filling head 5 is mounted on a movable carriage 20 which carriage reciprocates on a pair of slide rods 21. As best seen in FIG. 5, the filling head 5 comprises a foil carrying passageway 22 connected to a conventional foil cutting device (not shown) by a conduit 23 and to a source of vacuum 24. The foil passage 22 terminates in a delivery tip 25 which is spaced from a lamp envelope seat 26. The lamp envelope seat 26 comprises an annular member 27 having a central cavity 28 properly dimensioned to receive the lamp envelope. To more securely seal the envelope to the feeding head, a gasket 29 may be provided. The source of vacuum 24 terminates in a chamber 30 spaced back from the delivery tip 25 of the foil passageway 22, thus providing vacuum within the chamber 30 without undue disturbance of the interior of the lamp envelope. Thus, as suction force is applied through the passage 22, foil fiies by its inertial moment of the delivery tip 25 into the lamp envelope.

Also, mounted on the carriage is a compacting head 7 (FIG. 3) which, subsequent to the insertion of the foil into the lamp envelope, compacts the foil into the sea-led end of the envelope around the lamp mount in proper position for the subsequent sealing of the lamp envelope. The compacting head 7 comprises a tube 31 having an outside diameter slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the envelope connected to a source of air pressure (not shown) by a conduit 32. A realignment head 6 also provided on the carriage comprises a stop 33 to realign the lamp should a seal develop between the lamp envelope and the seat 26 tending to pull the lamp out of its proper position on the turret 3 when the carriage 20 is withdrawn. Back up members 33' are provided at the filling and compacting heads to secure the lamp against movement away from the filling and compacting heads.

The turret 3 is driven in a step-by-step fashion on its shaft 34 by bevel gears 35 and shaft 36 which is connected to the main power train 37 for the machine through a stepping mechanism or turret index means 38, said main power train being shown in FIG. 6. The power train 37 also includes a cam 39 moving a drive means 40 the reciprocating movement of the carriage 20 for the filling and compacting heads, a cam 41 for moving a drive means 42 for the jaw opener 19 at the delivery sta tion 8 and a cam 43 moving a drive means 44 for the feed mechanism and agitator of the magazine 10. The pocketed Wheel 9 at the delivery station is moved in timed relation to the turret 3 by gear and chain drive 45 (FIG. 7) connected to shaft 34.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Apparatus for filling and positioning charges of filamentary light-producing material within the int rior of flash lamp bulbs comprising, in combination, means defining a pickup mean-s for holding a first bulb in horizontal position at said pickup means, a reciprocable carriage spaced a predetermined distance from said pickup means carrying a filling head adapted to receive the open end of a second bulb when said carriage is moved, and a compacting head which is adapted to receive the open end of a third bulb, inertia-l means to insert filamentary material into the interior of said sec-nd bulb by use of a vacuum which impels said filamentary material into said bulb connected to the filling head, means to compact material within the interior of the third bulb connected to the compacting head, means to grip said bulbs simultaneously and mechanism for moving said last-mentioned means to simultaneously transfer a bulb from the pickup means to the filling head and a bulb from the filling head to the compacting head.

2. Apparatus for filling and positioning charges of filamentary light-producing material within the interiors of flash lamp bulbs comprising, in combination, means defining a pickup means for holding a firs-t bulb in horizontal position at said pickup means including a magazine, a turret having a plurality of bulb-holding means mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis, a carriage carrying a filling head and a compacting head mounted for movement a predetermined distance from said pickup means,

said filling head being adapted to receive the open end of a second bulb and said compacting head adapted to receive the open end of a third bulb, inertial means to insert filamentary material into the interior of the second bulb by use of a vacuum which impels said filamentary material into said bulb connected to the filling head, means to compact the material within the interior of the third bulb connected to the compacting head, and means for moving said turret in a step-'by-step manner, and reciprocating said carriage toward and away from said turret While said turret is stopped.

3. An apparatus for filling and positioning charges of filamentary light-producing material within the interior of flash lamp bulbs, means defining a pickup means for holding a supply of lamp bulbs in horizontal position, carriage means carrying a filling head and a compacting head mounted a predetermined distance from said pickup means, means for receiving filled lamp bulbs positioned a predetermined distance from said carriage means, a turret mounted on a horizontal axis and having a plurality of lamp bulb holding means thereon for receiving at bulb at the pickup means, transferring it to the filling head, then to the compacting head and then to the receiving means, inertial means associated with said filling head to insert filamentary material into the interior of said bulb by use of a vacuum which impels said filamentary material into said bulb, and means for moving said turret in a step-bystep manner and reciprocating said carriage toward and away from said turrent while the turret is stopped.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,386,810 8/1921 Thorn 141--80 2,108,301 2/1938 Taylor 14-165 X 2,340,637 2/1944 Baver l4l80 X 2,670,115 2/1954 Brock et al. 141l65 X 2,812,785 11/1957 Vaniman et al. 141-164 LAVERNE Di GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

SAMUEL ROTHBERG, Examiner.

H. BELL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR FILLING AND POSITIONING CHARGES OF FILAMENTARY LIGHT-PRODUCING MATERIAL WITHIN THE INTERIOR OF FLASH LAMP BULBS COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, MEANS DEFINING A PICKUP MEANS FOR HOLDING A FIRST BULB IN HORIZONTAL POSITION AT SAID PICKUP MEANS, A RECIPROCABLE CARRIAGE SPACED A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE FROM SAID PICKUP MEANS CARRYING A FILLING HEAD ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE OPEN END OF A SECOND BULB WHEN SAID CARRIAGE IS MOVED, AND A COMPACTING HEAD WHICH IS ADAPTED T RECEIVE THE OPEN END OF A THIRD BULB, INERTIAL MEANS TO INSERT FILAMENTARY MATERIAL INTO THE INTERIOR OF SAID SECOND BULB BY USE OF A VACUUM WHICH IMPELS SAID FILAMENTARY MATERIAL INTO SAID BULB CONNECTED TO THE FILLING HEAD, MEANS TO COMPACT MATERIAL WITHIN THE INTERIOR OF THE THIRD BULB CONNECTED TO THE COMPACTING HEAD, MEANS TO GRIP SAID BULBS SIMULTANEOUSLY AND MECHANISM FOR MOVING SAID LAST-MENTIONED MEANS TO SIMULTANEOUSLY TRANSFER A BULB FROM THE PICKUP MEANS TO THE FILLING HEAD AND A BULB FROM THE FILLING HEAD TO THE COMPACTING HEAD. 